LAHORE – Pakistan needs comprehensive cancer centres for provision of cancer treatment facilities to all and sundry under one roof considering the rising incidence of the fatal disease across the globe, participants at a conference on cancer surgery marking the world cancer day said on Friday.
February 4 is celebrated as the World Cancer Day across the globe, commemorating and verbalizing the oath to fight against the second biggest killer of people: Cancer. Department of Surgery, King Edward Medical University and Surgical Oncology Society Pakistan (SOS-PK), joining hands in this fight, are holding 3rd National Cancer Surgery Conference, the inauguration of which took place in the King Edward Medical University. Library Hall with eminent nuclear physicist Dr Samar Mubarak Mand guest of honour. The conference will last for 4 days.
Inauguration was preceded by a workshop in cancer surgery, lasting a series of three pre-conference CME workshops elaborating latest techniques in the surgery of various cancers. Yesterday’s session involved master trainers, Dr Mumtaz Mehr from JPM-Karachi and Professor Muhammad Arshad Cheema, President Surgical Oncology Society Pakistan & Chairman Department of Surgery King Edward Medical University, who showed the participants latest in the treatment of soft tissue and colon cancer.
Addressing the conference, Professor Arshad Cheema said the most common diseases in hospitals are trauma, tumors, infections, TB and typhoid. He said Pakistan has no cancer registry centre to record the incidence of cancer, however, as per the figures revealed by the WHO, more than 0.1 million people die of cancer every year in Pakistan, which is nearly 400 people dying everyday.
Highlighting the causes of cancer, he said western lifestyles and behaviours such as cigarette smoking and higher consumption of saturated salts increase many times the incidence of cancer. “Only the use of tobacco causes one-third of the cancer and many precious lives can be saved by banning the use of tobacco alone,” Cheema said, adding that more than 80 percent of patients come with advanced cancers.
Chief Guest, renowned nuclear scientist Dr Samar Mubarkmand highlighted the importance of cancer surgery in the country. “I was also once exposed to nuclear radiations, that too many times more than the accepted level…I’ve personal interest in the conference and provision of treatment facilites,” he said. He further said the coal mines project will be “good news” for the people.
He said other high level projects are also ongoing to further address the problems of the people. Former Health minister and forward bloc head Dr Tahir Ali Javaid said the field of oncology has been revolutionized over the past few decades. An oncologist himself, Javed said the idea of setting up comprehensive cancer centres has been floated previously as well, but could not be completed over “certain” reasons.
After the Inauguration, Live Video Conferencing from KEMU to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York where Dr JP Shah, world renowned authority and chief of Head and Neck surgery answered participants questions and discussed latest in the management of Head & Neck cancers.
CPSP President Professor Zafarullah Chaudhry, KEMU pro VC Dr Asad Aslam, former KEMU vice chancellor Dr Mumtaz Hassan, Dr Khalid Masood Gondal, people from the media and medical students attended the conference.
